Community welfare concerns is an issue that appears alien to Parul University. Headquartered in Vadodara, Gujarat, the University was recently pulled up by Gujarat High Court for admitting ineligible students. After admitting them at high fees, the University was exposed. The University refused to re-imburse the fees to the students following which they approached Gujarat High Court.
While the scandal is still afresh in public memory, now a promising student has claimed his own life at the University’s hostel premises in Vadodara. Parul University has three campuses, all of which are within the state of Gujarat. Spread across a 150-acres campus, Parul University is an amalgamation of 20 faculties and 36 institutes. The 150-acre campus has over 30,000 national and international students from 64 countries.
Anil Kewalram Patel’s parents toiled hard in Rajasthan to fulfil their son’s dreams of earning a management degree. The 19-year-old from Jodhpur in Rajasthan ended his life by jumping from the sixth floor of his hostel. Police investigating in the matter confirmed that his classmates and hostel friends found him restless before the unfortunate incident. This incident has brought the spotlight back to Parul University which is notorious for flouting rules, harassing students and indulging in malpractices.
Parul University was founded in 2009, by Jayesh Patel. Patel was with the BJP when he was arrested for raping a student in 2016 who had complained against him. The BJP dismissed him after his semen and DNA profiling confirmed the rape. He was subsequently arrested by Gujarat police. He is believed to have died of kidney failure in a hospital while in police custody in 2020.
The university is now run by his son, Devanshu Patel.
Gujarat High Court orders the university to pay Rs 10 lakh to each student
Last month, the varsity was in the news after Gujarat High Court flagged “grave illegality” by it in granting admission to 38 ‘ineligible’ students. The court directed the university to refund the entire fee, along with interest and damages, amounting to Rs 10 lakh to each of the 38 students in two weeks.
The court noted that the university, along with its three affiliated colleges, had admitted students despite being aware of their ineligibility due to lack of necessary qualifications. This action was in violation of the admission guidelines set forth by the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) and the state act governing admissions, the court stated.
Also Read: https://www.vibesofindia.com/parul-university-in-a-soup-for-admitting-38-ineligible-students/
African students on an exchange programme assaulted on the University Campus
Earlier in February, African students on an international exchange programme reportedly faced racial discrimination in the university. Not only were they hurled and abused, but physically heckled and assaulted on the campus of Parul University.
The students were attacked on the campus following heated arguments and racial slurs in the hostel campus. Parul University did not approach the police and the issue was “settled” internally, a University student told Vibes of India.
University Cheats Income Tax Department and Misuses Data
The controversial university is notorious for buying “best university ” rankings. In 2022, the income tax department put the university under the radar for misusing documents of at least 200 college students to save taxes. The management used these students as fictitious ‘trustees’ and ‘directors’ and made fake I-T declarations in their names.
A top income tax official told Vibes of India, “We are investigating the case. This is in a very serious case and no educational institution of Gujarat has ever indulged in such major malpractice. Parul University has used their students’ documents for tax evasion”, he confirmed.
University Rusticates And Suspends Students Seeking Covid Safety
Earlier, the same year, the varsity students were reportedly beaten up on the campus for demanding safety protocols in view of Covid. Even as the infection spread and over 150 students fell sick, the authorities rusticated at least seven students and suspended 40 of them for demanding online classes instead of physical presence on the campus.
Covid-19 cases were constantly being reported on the campus and the institute was functioning entirely offline. Students were concerned with the growing number of cases and talked to their professors regarding the same. Receiving no response from Parul University, the students protested on the campus for shifting online. During the protests, the security guards violently tried to control them.
Also Read: https://www.vibesofindia.com/parul-university-rusticates-and-suspends-students-seeking-covid-safety/
